1. Technical Description
The present disclosure relates to defibrillators and defibrillation electrodes and, more particularly, to systems and methods for hydrating defibrillation electrodes connected to a defibrillator prior to the electrodes being used on a patient.
2. Background of Related Art
In many instances, when an emergency situation arises at a public location remote from a medical facility, Automated External Defibrillators (AED's) may generally be available for use on the individual experiencing the medical emergency. An AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electrical therapy which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm.
Like many other medical devices, AED's include electrodes that generally have a conductor portion that is often covered or coated in a conductive gel/hydrogel to enhance the ability of the electrode to adhere to a patient's skin. However, an AED may be stored for prolonged periods which may cause the conductive gel/hydrogel to become dry to the point where its effectiveness is altered or compromised. In this respect, when an AED is stored for long periods of time, the conductive gel/hydrogel may lose its ability to adhere to a patient or may demonstrate excessively high contact impedance which, if used on a patient, can result in the patient being burned.
Thus, a need exists for a system that prolongs the lifespan of the conductive gel/hydrogel used with defibrillation electrodes to minimize risks associated with AEDs that will be stored for long periods of time.